The Scotch Noobhttp://scotchnoob.com
Scotch talk for the new generation of Scotch drinkersMon, 21 Jan 2019 17:53:30 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.9Filibuster “Dual Cask” Bourbonhttp://scotchnoob.com/2019/01/21/filibuster-dual-cask-bourbon/
http://scotchnoob.com/2019/01/21/filibuster-dual-cask-bourbon/#respondMon, 21 Jan 2019 08:29:47 +0000http://scotchnoob.com/?p=3403If some of the below seems familiar that’s because I swiped it wholesale from my review of the “Dual Cask” rye. Sorry, but sometimes I just phone it in. I may or may not be packing for a trip to Disneyland right now, and I may or may not have time to devote to quality blog content. Equivocation is the sharpest arrow in a blogger’s quiver.

There’s always this awful moment, for a blogger, when a package arrives in the mail from an upstart craft distillery. Obviously, I need to maintain my illusory blogger credibility by thoroughly panning slop, even if it’s free slop. When that happens, though, I have to email the poor PR rep or (worse) distillery employee and provide a link to my review of their hard work. This sort of thing can be very awkward. You can imagine my relief, then, when I open a free bottle and discover something tasty and easy-to-like inside. The Interwebs may decide that I’m full of it, but at least I can sleep at night.

Filibuster is a Virginia-based distillery that (ironically) started out as a blending house with no plans to distill. Then, I can only imagine the inexorable draw as the craft whiskey industry sang its siren song (yes, these are the kinds of things I sit in front of my computer and imagine) and the company purchased a defunct apple processing plant in the Shenandoah valley, in Virginia, and began installing stills. As is the case with just about every other distillery or “distillery” opened this decade, the liquid is not quite ready to barrel yet. Best guess, they started distilling in 2017 so we can expect real Filibuster juice around about 2021. Until then, Filibuster bottles contain sourced whiskey, and have since they started producing in 2013.

For what it’s worth, the distillery has a continuous still and is aging in 53-gallon kiln-dried new American Oak at their facility in Virginia. They are sourcing local grains (indeed, from farms in the same Zip code) and even publish the farms where the grains are grown. None of that matters yet, because what we have here is no-name bourbon from somewhere. Where? The back of the bottle says “Distilled in Virginia and Indiana”, so if we take this at face value it’s probably MGP bourbon with some of the distillery’s own (very young) output mixed in? There are a number of other distilleries in Virginia, so it could be sourced from any of them. The website suggests that this “less than four year old” (uhh… so two year-old, the legal minimum) straight bourbon is from a mixture of old and young casks with an average age of 4-6 years. The mash bill appears to have changed from batch to batch as well, which implies that the sourcing has changed. This bottle is from a 70% sweet corn, 20% rye, and 10% malted barley mash bill. The twist, though, is that the vatted bourbon is finished for an additional rest of two or three months in California “wine-seasoned” (both red and white) French Oak barrels.

Oh yeah, it’s called Filibuster because it’s made just outside of Washington D.C. Yuk Yuk.

My bottle is from Batch #27 and is bottled at 45% ABV. Thanks to Annie for the generous samples!

Nose: A little shyer than the rye, with a distinct pine resin note that likely derives from the rye grain component in the mash. A rest in the glass intensifies the pine a bit, and reveals only a shimmer of jammy fruit. Overall impression is dry and dusty.

Palate: Syrupy body. Moderate tongue burn. There are flecks of maple syrup and a rash of oaky sweetness that rids it of dryness, but there’s not a lot of complexity otherwise. Faint woodsmoke and fainter dusty rye spices.

Finish: Medium-short. Back to being dry, with echoes of spice (now I get some of that clove and cinnamon I was expecting) and some barrel tannin. Not too bitter, but not particularly complex. There are some nutty notes (hazelnut or walnut) on the fade-out.

With Water: A few drops of water coax out peanut butter, vanilla and more maple, and smother the pine resin notes. This gives the aroma better balance and some kind of identity. The palate retains its sweetness, and the finish seems a little more alive. Water is highly recommended with this one.

Overall: A shy bourbon, with hints of interesting flavors and aromas that never quite announce themselves, although a splash of water helps. The bourbon starts dry, becomes lightly sweet across the tongue, and then flees. The wine finish is so much in the background that it almost disappears. This is far less successful than the rye, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

]]>http://scotchnoob.com/2019/01/21/filibuster-dual-cask-bourbon/feed/0Glencadam (15 year)http://scotchnoob.com/2019/01/14/glencadam-15-year/
http://scotchnoob.com/2019/01/14/glencadam-15-year/#respondMon, 14 Jan 2019 08:29:33 +0000http://scotchnoob.com/?p=3401I previously reviewed the 10-year, which I found middling, and the 13-year which I liked despite the price.

Glencadam has been rising in international awareness since its rejuvenation by new owner Angus Dundee in 2003. The 15-year was named Whisky of the Year by Ralfy in 2017, which subjected an already very-limited supply to the ravages of the Internet-enabled whisky-loving populace. Prices spiked in the US above $100 and everyone promptly sold out. It’s worth noting that because the distillery was mothballed for a few years prior to its 2003 reopening, there just aren’t any barrels of 15-year sitting around, yet, which explains the supply crunch. Expect to see more bottles on shelves when the reopening juice hits the 15-year mark sometime in 2019. Hopefully this will coincide with a return to previous prices.

If you cannot wait, some UK retailers still have it at the very-reasonable price of (without VAT) $65 per 700ml bottle.

Glencadam’s 15 year-old expression, like most of its releases, is aged exclusively in ex-bourbon casks to retain the distillery character. The whisky is not chill-filtered and has no added coloring, and is bottled (now) at 46% ABV.

Nose: Perfumed, and very floral. Rosewater, lilac, orange blossom, honeysuckle. Next, a wave of green banana, lime salt-water taffy, and kiwi. Exceedingly delicate, and all of the individual notes are ephemeral and fleeting. Underneath the perfume notes is a very thin foundation: very pale malt, mineral water, and banana leaves.

Palate: Medium body, not quite syrupy. A moderate tongue burn is followed by densely sweet honey, fondant, and buttercream frosting. Rosewater, again, with pistachio and nougat. Despite all the sugary notes, it is not cloying.

Finish: Medium-short. Still sweet, with a reprise of some of the floral notes from the palate (nice to see those come full-circle). Fades slowly with pear pastilles, bubblegum, and no bitterness at all.

With Water: A few drops of water bring an odd, ferny vegetal note to the aroma which chases away all of the flowers, which don’t really come back even with a rest in the glass. The palate seems thinner and actually less sweet, with an added tart note of lime. Water is not really needed here, at 46% I think it’s proofed correctly.

Overall: A delicate dram with a host of mostly floral notes to explore. The palate, far from being delicate, is like smooshing your face into a wedding cake. There are no off-notes, although everything seems tied together with spun sugar without a whole lot of substance underneath. It’s a tasty if unsatisfying meal of a dram, although I hesitate to recommend any 15 year-old single malt that rises to the triple digits in price. If you can find it for $60, I think that’s about where it should reside. I suggest waiting until late 2019 when the supply returns to normal.

About The Distillery

Located in Brechin, on the eastern coast of the southern Highlands, Glencadam’s malt is known for creaminess, and is a component malt in the Stewart’s Cream of the Barley and Ballantine’s blends. The distillery was founded in 1825 and uses soft water piped 30 miles from Loch Lee. In 2003 ownership changed to the Angus Dundee Distillers plc company, which also owns Tomintoul and a number of blends. The brand’s line has been expanded twice, and now boasts two cask-finished expressions and a 10, 15, and 21 year-old. Glencadam malt whisky is non-chill-filtered, has no added coloring, and is generally bottled at 46% ABV.

]]>http://scotchnoob.com/2019/01/14/glencadam-15-year/feed/0Belle Meade Straight Bourbonhttp://scotchnoob.com/2019/01/07/belle-meade/
http://scotchnoob.com/2019/01/07/belle-meade/#commentsMon, 07 Jan 2019 08:29:12 +0000http://scotchnoob.com/?p=3331This is the kind of thing I like to cover. Sourced whiskey, yes, but from an actual startup distillery with an actual still that is now producing its own actual distilled whiskey. Nelson’s Green Brier distillery in Nashville, Tennessee was a pre-prohibition powerhouse in the Tennessee Whiskey scene (complete with the Lincoln County Process, which is now required by law to bottle something called Tennessee Whiskey). The distillery closed its doors at the advent of Prohibition in 1909. Descendants of the original Charles Nelson reinvigorated the brand starting in 2009 and rebuilt the old distillery in Nashville.

To get the ball rolling, as many new distilleries must, they purchased bourbon (note: not Tennessee Whiskey) from Midwest Grain Products (MGP, formerly known as LDI), and bottled it under the Belle Meade label, one of Charles Nelson’s original brands. In a fitting ode to the way the industry worked then as now, the pre-prohibition Belle Meade was actually originally contracted to Nelson from a third party. The whiskey chosen from MGP was a 6-8 year-old “high rye” straight bourbon in batches of four barrels each, and was bottled without chill filtration at 45.2% ABV. The modern Nelsons also finished a number of casks in a variety of wine barrels, and an array of Belle Meade finishes can be found on shelves.

The distillery itself has been laying down Tennessee Whiskey under the Nelson’s label from a recipe cobbled together from historical sources, which we should see in distribution soon.

Finish: A nice balance between dry and sweet, and not bitter. Fades with cherry, blanched almonds, and a bunch of baking spices, including cinnamon.

With Water: A few drops of water makes the aroma a lot sweeter – including vanilla frosting and sweet cream. The palate is largely the same, as is the finish. Water is welcome, but not needed.

Overall: A very nice but very middle-of-the-road bourbon. It’s a little pricey for the category at $35, though, where you can find gems like 1792 or (VOB if you’re lucky enough to live where it’s sold) for under $30. Still, I can’t be sad about MGP high-rye bourbon at 6 years of age. Any amount of the bottle that I don’t drink neat will make very nice Old Fashioneds and Whiskey Sours.

]]>http://scotchnoob.com/2019/01/07/belle-meade/feed/1Cutty Sark (12 year) Blended Scotchhttp://scotchnoob.com/2018/12/31/cutty-sark-12-year-blended-scotch/
http://scotchnoob.com/2018/12/31/cutty-sark-12-year-blended-scotch/#commentsMon, 31 Dec 2018 08:29:13 +0000http://scotchnoob.com/?p=3390Hey look, it’s almost 2019. What better way, I think, to ring in the New Year than to reconfirm what a salty bastard I’ve become and review something that is sure to raise the ire of anyone who’s been drinking whisky longer than I’ve been alive? I’m really hoping someone calls me a “whippersnapper” in the comments. After trying really hard to like Cutty Sark’s baseline blended scotch (in which I suggest readers don’t try to smell the whisky), I deluded myself into thinking maybe a sample of the 12 year-old would go over better. I mean, half of the problem with inexpensive blended scotches is that they routinely use a high proportion of bottom-dollar (and minimum legal age at 3 years of maturation) grain whisky. So, the theory goes, if you restrict the blend to only 12 year-and-up components, that eliminates the problem, right?

Right?

Cutty 12 is weirdly hard to find online. It’s either undergoing a revamp (so everyone is sold out) or the distribution is limited due to… I don’t know… an attempt to drum up demand via scarcity? Whatever the reason, you’re not missing out if you can’t find it. Oops. Spoilers.

Nose: Weirdly barnyard-y (soiled hay) right out of the bottle. This reminds me, immediately, of Sheep Dip with all the associated negative connotations. A rest in the glass does little to relieve this, but does add a little sweetness for balance. Yes, now it smells like sweet sheep crap. To be fair, there is also a nice grapey note in there – like sweet white wine or fresh green grapes.

Palate: Medium bodied, almost syrupy. Very sweet, with cloying taffy, bright red maraschino cherry, and assorted bakery sweets. Not much dimension, but boy does this deliver on the sugar.

With Water: A few drops of water seem to mute the aroma (a good thing?) and require yet another rest to reveal some toffee and butterscotch. The palate is (even) sweeter, as in pure white sugar and simple syrup. Skip water here.

Overall: Ok, it’s not awful, but the additional 9 years (I kid) of aging has not made this into something special. It might have added some oaky sweetness, and a little hazelnut to the palate, and it might also have rounded off some rough edges, but it remains mass-produced blended scotch.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. These large blended scotch brands have gotten where they are by low prices, marketing, and bulk production efficiency, not by flavor. I contend that the vast majority of Cutty drinkers (or JW Red, or Grouse, or Chivas, or J&B, or…) would have chosen a different brand if they’d been exposed to better options when they first tried it. Now they’ve “acquired a taste” for the assorted off-flavors and weird esters that are a result of making scotch as cheaply as possible, and many will defend it until their dying breath.

That joke about sheep crap was uncalled-for, and I’m about to hear about it in 3… 2… 1…

]]>http://scotchnoob.com/2018/12/31/cutty-sark-12-year-blended-scotch/feed/6St. George Single Malt American Whiskey (Lot 17)http://scotchnoob.com/2018/12/24/st-george-single-malt-american-whiskey-lot-17/
http://scotchnoob.com/2018/12/24/st-george-single-malt-american-whiskey-lot-17/#respondMon, 24 Dec 2018 08:29:32 +0000http://scotchnoob.com/?p=3377“‘Twas Christmas Eve, and all through the house…”

Kidding! I’ve sort of grown out of the “all blog posts near holidays must be themed” phase and into the grumpy curmudgeon blogger phase. There comes a point in a blogger’s “career” (said with a straight face) when he or she realizes that the same “Top 10 Gifts” article from last year will suffice this year by simply removing the year from the title. I did, however, want to review something special as tomorrow is Christmas after all. So, I dug through the nether regions of my whisky cabinet where I keep the “Open Someday for a Special Occasion” bottles and found this gem. I haven’t reviewed one of St. George’s single malts since Lot 10 back in 2011. Back when it was $50 a bottle. The Alameda-based distillery – which is basically my “home team” as far as proximity to a major distillery goes – has gained their confidence and now charges $100 for this annual lot of always-different and always-special single malt.

The “Lot” bottlings are released annually around October of each year, and conveniently the lot number corresponds to the year of release. Yes, yes, that means I’m a full year behind on this one, and no, you will not be able to find it in stores. You can try to snag the 18, though, if there’s any left. You can be sure that the quality will be consistent, even though the barrel makeup changes somewhat every year. St. George uses two-row barley and blends different roast levels (like a beer brewer would). They also smoke a portion of unroasted barley with beech and alder wood, although I would not call the whisky “smoked” at all, flavor-wise.

The 2017 “Lot 17” bottling was composed of barrels of St. George single malt aged 6 to 8 years, and matured or finished in an assortment of casks including ex-bourbon casks from the company’s sourced Breaking & Entering bourbon and dessert wine American and French oak casks. The malt is bottled at 43% ABV.

Nose: Intensely, meltingly sweet and perfumed. It smells exactly like pear drops. A slight herbal quality (anise, clove, and pine sap), is balanced against elegant fruit and crystallized sugar. A rest in the glass brings tart berries. This is the kind of malt that one could easily spend an evening analyzing for new aromas.

With Water: A few drops of water seem to dull the aroma, and brings nothing new to the palate. Don’t bother with water here.

Overall: A distinct and utter pleasure. St. George is adept at using a canvas of familiar-but-mysteriously-different malt and painting a masterpiece of fruits and flowers and sweets through the use of various casks. While it has a number of scotch-like attributes, it ends up tasting undeniably of St. George, and distinctly non-Scottish. I cannot get over how perfumed the aroma is, with a fruit-and-flowers intensity that I rarely encounter in a whisky of any nationality.

St. George “Lot” releases continue to increase in quality and, alas, in price. I will mark this a “Must Try”, although that applies generally to any St. George single malt release. If you’ve already experienced a previous lot, this one is simply Recommended (with reservations, due to the high price). Grudgingly, though, I must admit that this malt is worth the price tag.

St. George, which also makes eaus de vie, absinthe, and other spirits is located in Alameda, CA, and provides tours on Saturday and Sunday (but go on Sunday, as it’s less crowded).

Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays!

]]>http://scotchnoob.com/2018/12/24/st-george-single-malt-american-whiskey-lot-17/feed/0GlenDronach (21 year) Parliamenthttp://scotchnoob.com/2018/12/17/glendronach-21-year/
http://scotchnoob.com/2018/12/17/glendronach-21-year/#commentsMon, 17 Dec 2018 08:29:57 +0000http://scotchnoob.com/?p=3387I have been saving this tiny little sample bottle. What better time than the week before Christmas – before everything gets crazy? GlenDronach is among my favorite distilleries, and may make my favorite sherried malt (for the price). The 18 was a mixed bag for me, but it is not every day that I get to taste a malt with over 20 years of maturation, let alone an official bottling.

GlenDronach’s 21 year-old bottling from the official distillery lineup is aged in a combination of PX (Pedro Ximenez) and oloroso sherry casks. (Note that is “aged” not “finished” – this whisky sat for a full 21 years in barrels previously containing sherry.) Hilariously enough in the current political climate, this whisky is not in fact named after the British Parliament, but rather for the “parliament” of rooks that nest in the trees overlooking the distillery. It is bottled at 48% ABV and without chill filtration or added coloring.

Normally I do not review whiskies over $150… in fact, I have actually turned away offers of samples for whiskies over that range because I don’t feel right recommending expensive whisky. Like… of course it’s good, but I can’t ever say in good conscience that anything that expensive is worth the outrageous sums asked.

This, though. This isn’t for you, dear reader. This is for me.

Nose: Chocolate-covered cherries melting over double fudge chocolate cake. Decadent. Dense. Port wine reduction drizzled over ripe strawberries nestled into butterscotch pudding. This smells like I imagined the Everlasting Gobstobber tasted when I was a kid. I could smell this forever.

Finish: Medium-long. How did they cram all of this dark chocolate flavor in here? It continues through the finish, now with bursting pomegranate arils, liquid caramel, and fudge. Begins to fade with mint chocolate chips and fresh whole cloves.

With Water: I almost couldn’t bring myself to do it, but after adding 6 drops of water to the (probably) 10ml left in my glass, I can smell elevated levels of tart cherry without a lessening of the other notes. The palate might be a little silkier in texture, but strangely less coherent. The finish picks up a note of tobacco and fresh undyed leather. This really doesn’t need the intervention of water, but you can play with some if you feel the desire.

Overall: If you couldn’t tell from the over-the-top language in the above notes, this is an incredible whisky. One of the best, literally, that I have ever had. It strikes all of the bells for me: Sweet and fruity sherry without being overly resinous or sulfurous. Decadently full flavor without excessive alcohol burn. Mountains of chocolate, to degrees I’ve never experienced in a whisky. It starts confidently, strides across the palate without faltering and finishes with elegance, retaining its integrity. A whole, full, round, complete whisky.

I’m going to put a tongue-in-cheek “Must Have” mark on this, because honestly if someone said to me “I can afford it. Will I like it?” The answer is a resounding, unmitigated YES. How can I mark that any lower? However, I cannot honestly say that it’s worth $200 if you don’t have $200 to blow on good whisky. Buy a GlenDronach 12 instead and imagine the chocolate, and you’ll be just fine.

About The Distillery

Founded byJames Allardes in 1826, GlenDronach distillery, after trading hands several times, was sold by Pernod Ricard to the Benriach Distillery Company in 2008. At that time, they announced a new style for the distillery flagship 12-year-old bottling, which was released in 2009. We can expect to see other changes in the distillery’s lineup. Fittings include a copper mash tun, Oregon pine washbacks, four steam-heated copper spirit stills and defunct floor maltings. While it sources the same malted barley as Benriach Distillery, either the water or the workings at GlenDronach yield a bulkier, heavier spirit that takes to ex-sherry casks very well.

]]>http://scotchnoob.com/2018/12/17/glendronach-21-year/feed/9Filibuster “Dual Cask” Ryehttp://scotchnoob.com/2018/12/10/filibuster-dual-cask-rye/
http://scotchnoob.com/2018/12/10/filibuster-dual-cask-rye/#commentsMon, 10 Dec 2018 08:29:02 +0000http://scotchnoob.com/?p=3379There’s always this awful moment, for a blogger, when a package arrives in the mail from an upstart craft distillery. Obviously, I need to maintain my illusory blogger credibility by thoroughly panning slop, even if it’s free slop. When that happens, though, I have to email the poor PR rep or (worse) distillery employee and provide a link to my review of their hard work. This sort of thing can be very awkward. You can imagine my relief, then, when I open a free bottle and discover something tasty and easy-to-like inside. The Interwebs may decide that I’m full of it, but at least I can sleep at night.

Filibuster is a Virginia-based distillery that (ironically) started out as a blending house with no plans to distill. Then, I can only imagine the inexorable draw as the craft whiskey industry sang its siren song (yes, these are the kinds of things I sit in front of my computer and imagine) and the company purchased a defunct apple processing plant in the Shenandoah valley, in Virginia, and began installing stills. As is the case with just about every other distillery or “distillery” opened this decade, the liquid is not quite ready to barrel yet. Best guess, they started distilling in 2017 so we can expect real Filibuster juice around about 2021. Until then, Filibuster bottles (including this bourbon) contain sourced whiskey, and have since they started producing in 2013.

For what it’s worth, the distillery has a continuous still and is aging in 53-gallon kiln-dried new American Oak at their facility in Virginia. They are sourcing local grains (indeed, from farms in the same Zip code) and even publish the farms where the grains are grown. None of that matters yet, because what we have here is no-name rye from somewhere (MGP? Who knows, there’s no hint on the bottle). The twist, though, is that this two year-old rye (a 90% rye / 10% malted barley mash bill) is finished for an additional two years in “white wine seasoned” French Oak barrels. The initial two years gives it the right to be called “Straight Rye Whiskey” and the second two years means it’s four years of age for our purposes.

Oh yeah, it’s called Filibuster because it’s made just outside of Washington D.C. Yuk Yuk.

My bottle is from Batch #8 and is bottled at 45% ABV. Thanks to Annie for the generous samples!

Nose: Soft, round spicy rye with a big heaping of grape jam. Bright, fruity, and with scattered elements of apple cider, berry preserves, and an undercurrent of cracked black pepper, cloves, and caraway. This has moderate depth, but very well-balanced fruits and spice. A rest in the glass brings additional sweetness, like sugar glaze on a cinnamon roll.

Finish: Medium length. A reprise of the same flavors, plus a little bit of bitterness and a dusting of charcoal which adds a little smokiness. Finishes without evolving much.

With Water: A few drops of water open up a bit more alcohol (“nose tickle”) and a tart high note, like kiwi or green grapes. The water also amps the tongue burn and thins the body. The water is not really required here.

Overall: Pleasant, but with enough spice to give it an edge. The finish in wine barrels has laden the aroma with layer upon layer of fresh fruits which are balanced nicely by rye spice notes. The whole gets a little muddier on the palate, losing some of the fruit, but the experience remains positive through the end. Probably some extra years (pre-wine cask) would tighten up that midpalate, but $40 is already at the upper end of what the market will bear for young sourced rye, even as well-finished as this, and the West Coast sees distribution of this at the not-ideal price of $55.

Recommended. Although it might be a “Must Try” if you’re in the market for a tasty rye and you like a little fruit with your rye spices.

]]>http://scotchnoob.com/2018/12/10/filibuster-dual-cask-rye/feed/2Glen Scotia (15 year)http://scotchnoob.com/2018/12/03/glen-scotia-15/
http://scotchnoob.com/2018/12/03/glen-scotia-15/#commentsMon, 03 Dec 2018 08:29:08 +0000http://scotchnoob.com/?p=3374Campbeltown, the whiskymaking region on the Mull of Kintyre peninsula, is now practically synonymous with the Springbank distillery. For a region that once boasted 30 distilleries to be reduced to three is a shame, and is evidence of the ebbs and flows of fortune that the whisky industry is subject to. Really, even well-stocked whisky shops these days carry only Springbank, Longrow, and Hazelburn (which are both also made at Springbank), so it might surprise some newbies to learn that Campbeltown is also home to the Glengyle distillery (Kilkerran) and the Glen Scotia distillery.

Early in my whisky journey I remember tasting (but not reviewing) a Glen Scotia 10 or 12 year and being so thoroughly unimpressed that I didn’t even write any notes. Probably at the time I thought “this might be better with some age on it” and passed it by. So, finding a sample of Glen Scotia 15 at Master of Malt (which no longer ships to the US, curse them), I thought it high time to give this Campbeltown revenant some representation on the blog. Also, I’ve rarely had a 15 year-old scotch that didn’t agree with me. What could go wrong?

Glen Scotia makes a small amount of heavily-peated malt, but most of its products are very lightly peated at around 15 ppm. This 15 year-old is aged in ex-bourbon casks, and bottled at 46% ABV without chill filtration (but possibly with added coloring). The Glen Scotia product line was revamped and relaunched in 2015.

Nose: Slightly meaty, with a dose of beeswax, fungal earth, and very faint peat (not smoke). Some sulfur, but not to the “rotten eggs” degree. There is a note of lemon peel, but it is in the background. Not sweet.

Palate: Thin body. Beeswax again. After a mild tongue burn, it becomes nutty (nougat and/or marzipan) and a little bitter (walnut skins). Like the aroma, there is a distinct lack of sweetness.

Finish: Medium-short. Dry, a little woody. More charcoal, and bitter at that, than I like. Fades with only a hint of sweetness, in the form of caramel.

With Water: The addition of a few drops of water brings a little sweetness in the form of ripe banana and vanilla cake frosting. Water is a pleasant addition with this dram.

Overall: This is not something I would choose over any comparably-priced malt. It is too dry without having complexity to justify the lack of sweetness. There is nothing floral about it, and precious little fruit. The 15 years in oak have lent a bit of mature woodiness, but also appear to have added a bit too much bitterness and charcoal. The earthy mild peat on the nose is interesting, but doesn’t warrant the purchase of a bottle, especially not if you can get a good price on Springbank 10.

About The Distillery

Glen Scotia is one of the few (Springbank, Glengyle) remaining Campbeltown distilleries in the Mull of Kintyre. Like Springbank, it uses the town water supply of Crosshill Loch, and also has a private well from a borehole drilled deep into the rock beneath the town. It only uses two stills, and is currently running at a fraction of its potential capacity in the hands of a tiny staff of three employees. Distilling is an ancient tradition, and even the modern industrialized distilleries have hundreds of years of history. It’s no surpise, then, that some distillery buildings are thought to be haunted. Glen Scotia, in particular, is famously haunted by the ghost of one former owner who drowned himself in Crosshill Loch, and currently walks the halls of the aged distillery buildings. ‘Spirit’, indeed.

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]]>http://scotchnoob.com/2018/12/03/glen-scotia-15/feed/11Treaty Oak “Red Handed” Rye (10 year)http://scotchnoob.com/2018/11/26/treaty-oak-red-handed-rye-10/
http://scotchnoob.com/2018/11/26/treaty-oak-red-handed-rye-10/#respondMon, 26 Nov 2018 08:29:56 +0000http://scotchnoob.com/?p=3369Treaty Oak is a Texas distillery founded in 2006 near Austin with a story so familiar that I’m getting tired of repeating it on this blog. An upstart distillery, not enough startup capital, long time to wait for whiskey to age, blah blah blah. These guys added a clever twist by branding their “get sourced whiskey to pay the bills” bottlings under the “Red Handed” moniker. In other words, they stole somebody else’s whiskey. Yuk yuk. Thankfully, there is also a “grain to glass” bottling of the distillery’s own output called Ghost Hill, which will see an upcoming review.

I reviewed the Red Handed Bourbon in a previous post, with the same opener (sue me, I’m lazy). I liked the bourbon quite a bit. The rye has a bit higher ABV at 50%, and an actual age statement at a resounding 10 years. That’s pretty high for rye in the current market. A bit of digging revealed that this rye is from the Schenley distillery, at a mashbill of 53% rye, 39% corn and 8% barley. I spent a little too much time researching this, as the name Schenley is both a storied name in American whiskey and also awash with confusion. After reading here and here and elsewhere, I gave up and asked the producer. This is in fact Canadian-made rye whisky distilled at the Schenley plant in Quebec. It could be related to Golden Wedding or OFC, two brands produced at that facility. It could also just be industry contract juice with no particular relevance to other brands. There is precious little info about the Quebec Schenley plant.

Treaty Oak is in the middle of an expansion, looking to market its products beyond Texas. Thanks to Aaron at Ro-Bro Marketing for the samples!

Nose: Woah, that’s some potent whiskey. Cotton candy and fruit punch, fresh green apple, lemonade, and a waxy note that could be beeswax or could be Pledge floor polish.

Palate: Thin body. Very hot, even for 50% ABV. After the burn subsides, there is a reprise of some of the sweet/fruity notes from the aroma, plus bubblegum.

Finish: Medium-short. More of the same (it’s consistent, I’ll give it that). Finishes downright tart, like sour candy.

With Water: A few drops of water – for some reason – seems to mute the aroma, adding only a faint rosewater note. I suggest saving the water unless you find it too hot for your liking.

Overall: 10 year-old rye is in short supply in the market these days (hence the inflated price), but I’m not sure how sold I am on this one. Some of the candy notes are very similar to bottom-shelf bourbons I’ve had like McAfee and Rebel Yell, and there’s an utter lack of the kinds of spices one associates with rye. Still, if you’re able to sort out the Schenley mystery or if these kinds of sweet and fruity Canadian-style ryes are your thing, this might be a diamond in the rough.

Just a quick note while I continue to recover from Thanksgiving and simultaneously prepare myself for the Christmas season. I appear in a quick blurb about whisky bloggers in the latest edition (#8) of Cask & Still magazine, a free Scottish publication. If you don’t happen to have access to the print version, you can find me in the digital version here, on page 77. Fame and fortune, here I come! Or some facsimile thereof.